Road

Russell Downing of the British squad Pinarello CandiTV captured the race lead with a winning sprint on stage 4 of the Tour of Ireland. Downing took the kick from a 22-man group at the finish in Dingle, after Garmin-Chipotle’s David Millar shattered the field over the Cat. 1 Conor Pass. Downing started the day 32 seconds down on race leader Mark Cavendish. He took the lead through snatching time bonuses at the finish (10 seconds) and at the day’s first and last intermediate sprints (3 seconds a piece).

On the eve of the USPRO Road Race Championships, Garmin-Chipotle showed it intended to dominate the championship weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, taking four of the top five spots in the time trial, led by David Zabriskie. Only Bissell’s Tom Zirbel kept Garmin from taking the entire podium and then some, with a brilliant second place ride, coming in five seconds behind a clean-shaven Zabriskie, who captured his third straight USPRO time trial jersey.

Garmin's David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde are among the favorites for Saturday's USPRO Time Trial Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.

Astana announced Saturday that Dirk Demol will join the team in 2009 to work as a director sportif. The Belgian is a former winner of Paris-Roubaix (1988) and most recently worked as a team director with Quick Step-Innergetic, where he led Stijn Devolder to the biggest win of his career at the Tour of Flanders. Demol will join Team Astana for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Czech cyclist Ondrej Sosenka, who holds the world hour record, has tested positive and has been suspended, the CTK press agency reported on Friday. Sosenka's A sample tested positive for stimulant methamphetamine and, should the B sample prove positive, he would likely be sacked from the PSK Whirlpool-Author team. "The team has already distanced themselves (from Sosenka) and terminated the contract with immediate effect, pending the result of the B sample," PSK manager Vladimir Vavra said.

Sources have confirmed that the Saxo Bank cycling team will race on Specialized bikes during the 2009 season and beyond. Sources close to the team, which now operates under the banner of CSC-Saxo Bank, have confirmed to VeloNews that the Morgan Hill, California-based company is poised to announce the agreement with CSC-Saxo Bank team owner Bjarne Riis.

Scott Bicycles announced Friday that the firm has inked a deal to become the bike sponsor of the U.S.-based Columbia team. The news comes just two days after the Idaho-based bicycle company announced that it was ending its support of the former Saunier-Duval team, which has struggled since the expulsion of star rider Ricardo Riccò from the Tour de France, after testing positive for EPO.

Quick Step is seeing some changes going into the 2009 season, with Tour of Flanders champion Stijn Devolder sticking around and Spanish veteran Juan Manuel Garate heading to Rabobank. After turning pro with U.S. Postal Service in 2004, Devolder joined Quick Step in 2008 and everyone seems pretty pleased with the results. Devolder signed a contract that will keep him at Quick Step through the 2010 season, with a clause for a one-year extension.

Alexander Kristoff followed last year’s successful script and launched an early sprint with 350 meters to go, but Mark Cavendish, as he continues to do with his blossoming career, is following his own plan. At stage 3 of the Tour of Ireland from Ballinrobe to Galway, that plan was simple: win. Cavendish was one of many riders to go down on slick tarmac just over the top of the final categorized climb, but Columbia put him back into the front group and wound it up in the closing kilometers to 70kph.

The 63rd Vuelta a España roars out of Granada on Saturday afternoon in a fitting start with a team time trial in what should be a dogfight between cycling’s two strongest teams and Spain’s two biggest stars. The showdown between Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre and their respective Astana and CSC-Saxo Bank teams should provide plenty of drama during a three-week course loaded with hard mountains spread judiciously among a long string of sprint-friendly stages.

Editor's Note: The following column was written by Matt Shriver, an Exercise Specialist and Senior Level Coach with Colorado Premier Training. He also is a professional cyclist currently racing with the Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling team.

Team Columbia is bringing a star-studded team to next month's Tour of Missouri, with British speedster Mark Cavendish joining time trialist Michael Rogers and defending Missouri cahmp George Hincapie. The race announced Thursday that the Columbia will bring Rogers and Cavendish, along with the previously announced team roster of Hincapie, Austrian Bernhard Eisel, Canada’s Michael Barry, young Americans John Devine and Craig Lewis, and three-time Italian time trial national champion and Tour of Italy stage winner, Marco Pinotti.

The complete 2008 Tour of Missouri roster:

Set aside for the day’s top riders, the winner’s circle in Loughrea served as a photo booth as fans of all ages took turns posing for pictures with Mark Cavendish. The Team Columbia rider again won handily at the Tour of Ireland, in the 158km stage 2 from Thurles to Loughrea, and the popularity of the four-time Tour de France stage winner is only swelling.

USPRO Road Race start list, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008:

Canadian bike maker Cervélo will own and sponsor a new European pro road team next season, tentatively titled the Cervélo TestTeam, although the company may announce a title sponsor in the next few weeks. The company's future with Team CSC-Saxo Bank, which it has supplied since 2002, is uncertain. "That hasn't been determined yet," said spokesman Peter Donato. A press release announcing the new team quotes Cervelo co-founder Gerard Vroomen, speaking as if he had little expectation that the company will supply CSC in 2009.

Cycling team Gerolsteiner has virtually ended all hope of finding a new sponsor and are set to sell off their assets at the end of October, their team manager said on Thursday. In September 2007, the German mineral water manufacturers announced they would not renew their sponsorship at the end of 2008 season and the Gerolsteiner team had been unsuccessfully trying to find a new benefactor.

Thirty-eight year old Eric Zabel will lead the Milram team at the Vuelta a Espana starting Saturday. The German vet will lead an otherwise young team looking for stage wins at the Spanish tour. The team's average age is under 25.

Sastre leads CSC-Saxo Bank

Daniel Martin is sick, but he isn’t sweating it. Actually, he is sweating, quite a bit, as a fever works to burn out the remnants of food poisoning he picked up Sunday at the conclusion of the Tour of Portugal. But the young Irish national champion is continuing to race at the Tour of Ireland. Meanwhile, his teammate Magnus Bäckstedt continues to work through a stomach bug he picked up at the Giro d’Italia in May.

Ben Delaney, VeloNews' Editor in Chief, is a master wordsman, but, by his own description, a Cat. 5 photographer (apologies to our Cat. 5 readers ...). Nevertheless, overcome by the beauty and the sheer Irishness of the countryside on the first day of the Tour of Ireland, the chief sent in this gallery with some behind-the-scenes views of the race. The lad'll be going pro in no time.

After a troubled season, highlighted by the positive doping test of Ricardo Riccò, the team once known as Saunier Duval has lost its second title sponsor in as many months. Scott Bicycles announced Wednesday that it will discontinue its sponsorship of the re-labeled Scott-American Beef cycling team at the end of the 2008 season.

Neither a four-man breakaway nor getting spit out on a climb could stop Columbia’s Mark Cavendish from taking a commanding sprint win in the opening stage of the Tour of Ireland. Columbia rode the front of the peloton all day, then strung it out in the rush to the flat finish along River Suir in downtown Waterford.

Cadel Evans is staying put, but rumors are flying that Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre might be lured away from CSC-Saxo Bank. Silence-Lotto announced Wednesday that Evans, runner-up in the past two editions of the Tour, penned a two-year contract extension with the Belgian team through the 2010 season. “Silence-Lotto proudly announces that Cadel Evans has signed a contract for the next two seasons. This agreement is proof of his confidence in the Silence-Lotto team,” a press release said. “Next season the Tour the France will be the main goal for Cadel Evans.”

Spaniard Jose Ivan Gutierrez, riding for Caisse d'Epargne, won the Tour of Benelux in Brussels as Latvia's Raivis Belohvoscicks (Saunier Duval) won Wednesday's final stage, an 18km time trial around Mechelen. Gutierrez was second on the stage, 8 seconds back. He finished without a saddle, which fell off his bike with about 800 meters to go, according to reports.

Astana brings a loaded team looking for nothing short of domination in the 63rd Vuelta a España that opens with a team time trial Saturday in sunny Granada. Still miffed it was left out of the 2008 Tour de France, the Astana blue swaggers into Granada with its A-team for the season’s third tour with overall victory as the main objective. Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer provide heft to the nine-man lineup, but it’s budding Spanish super star Alberto Contador who will be captain of this ship.

Ingredients per serving: Sodium (150mg); Calcium (40mg); Magnesium (30mg); Potassium (95mg) Calories: 0 Cost: $11.98 for 90 tablets. Web site: www.eletewater.com Tablytes are electrolyte tablets, designed to be swallowed with water to replace electrolytes lost in exercise.

The Dutch team Rabobank will ride Giant bicycles next year, ending its long term relationship with Colnago, according to a press release from the bike maker. A company spokesman could not say if Giant will continue as bike sponsor of U.S.-based Team Columbia. "Giant’s current sponsorship agreement with Team Columbia remains active through the end of 2008," Giant's Andrew Juskaitis said. "Giant is currently evaluating its sports marketing programs for 2009, including its future sponsorship of Team Columbia."

Former Tour of Italy winner Danielo Di Luca will try to secure a place on Italy's World Championship team by competing at the Giro del Veneto on Sunday, Italian news agency Ansa said Tuesday. Di Luca won this event back in 2002 and is hoping further success will convince Italy selectioner Franco Ballerini to pick him for the worlds in Varese, in the north of Italy, next month.

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen of the Columbia team won the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Benelux here Tuesday, as German team-mate Andre Greipel held the overall race lead. Boasson won a sprint finish ahead of France's Jimmy Engoulvent and Serguei Ivanov of Russia. Wednesday's final stage is an 18km time-trial around Mechelen. In Tuesday's stage, a nine-rider breakaway looked set to fight out the finish but Columbia did a lot of work to chase the riders and then Hagen jumped past late attacker Jimmy Engoulvent within sight of the finish line.

Team Type 1 director Ed Beamon returns to the Tour of Ireland with a new squad this year, but with several of the same riders he led last year on the Navigators Insurance squad.   Beamon's Team Type 1 squad includes two riders who competed in Ireland last year: Ukrainian Valeriy Kobzarenko and Mexican Moises Aldape. Kobzarenko finished eighth overall with the Navigators last year while Aldape was 17th for the Italian Ceramica Panaria-Navigare squad.  

Robbie's ride
Dear Lennard,
I saw photos of it during the Tour, but can't tell what the model name of the San Marco saddle pictured on Robbie McEwen's Ridley is.
Kito Dear Kito,
It’s a Selle San Marco Regal, nice retro-looking saddle due to its big brass rivets around the back edge. Yet it has a nylon base, foam padding and a cover, just like most modern saddles.
Lennard

Sizes available: 700 x 32 and 700 x 35 Weight:350 grams (32 width); 395 grams (35 width) Suggested Retail: $39.99. Web site: www.kendausa.com/bicycle The Kommando is a new bi-directional cyclocross tire from Kenda. It is designed to be run in one direction for soft conditions and the other way for hardpack. The tire, which has a folding bead, also features Kenda's Iron Cloak puncture resistant material that runs bead to bead under the tread.

The Tour of Ireland begins Wednesday in Dublin, and Team Columbia’s sprint ace Mark Cavendish and Garmin-Chipotle’s Irish national champion Daniel Martin will be among the riders of 16 teams gunning for wins.

Despite a strong showing by Minnesota riders, Wisconsin took home the trophy after the inaugural Border Battle race on Sunday afternoon. The contest pitted over 350 racers from the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) against nearly 250 racers from the Minnesota State Championship Series (MNSCS). The White Tail Ridge course in River Falls, Wisconsin, was mostly flowing singletrack but included a steep lead-out climb, a long climb through an open field, and a rocky technical section.

French rider Pierrick Fedrigo of Bouygues Telecom overcame a bout of jetlag to claim the Grand Prix de Plouay on Monday after a hard-fought sprint. Italy's Alessando Ballan of Lampre and Spaniard David Lopez Garcia of Caisse d'Epargne completed the podium in the 72th edition of the race in Brittany, northwest France. "I've already won a stage on the Tour de France (2006) and have been French champion (2005). The win at Plouay is like a bronze medal in my list of achievements," said Fedrigo.

German rider Carlo Westphal (Gerolsteiner) won the fifth stage of the Tour of Benelux on Monday. Compatriot Andre Greipel of the Columbia team holds the overall race lead.

During his three-week assignment to cover the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, VeloNews reporter Fred Dreier roamed China's capital city armed with his point-and-shoot digital camera. A professional photographer he is not, but Fred managed to snap a few photos of a side of the games not seen by all.

Price: $13 for 12 tabs Servings per tab: Four Web site: www.nuun.com Bigger is Easier? Nuun is now offering its sugar-free electrolyte replacement drink effervescent tabs in a larger four-serving size. Each tab now makes 32 ounces, instead of 16 ounces, so that only one tab fills liter sized bottles and hydration packs. The price per serving is the same as the smaller size.

Suggested Retail:$355 for fixed hub set, $436 for singlespeed disc hub set Web site: www.bythehive.com The Hive is a new brand from Perigeum Development, a distributor that has been involved with product development for several well-known brands. Chub Hubs from The Hive have massive flanges and large carbon center tubes, which the company says increase torsional stiffness and reduce spoke stress. The carbon lay-up in the center section is optimized to transfer torque between the flanges.[nid:82273]

Hilton Clarke (Toyota-United Pro) won Sunday’s Chris Thater Memorial Criterium in Binghamton, New York. The Aussie, who won here in 2006, edged out Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita-Sutter Home) and Eric Boiley (Volkswagen) to take the victory on the 25th anniversary of the NRC race, the ninth stop on this year's USA CRITS series. “My guys on my teams really put their trust in me today, and I was glad I was able to pull it off for them.” Clarke said after his win.

Belgian rider Tom Boonen (Quick Step) won a sprint finish for Sunday's fourth stage of the Tour of Benelux. Dutch rider Kenny van Hummel finished second and Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia) in third. Boasson Hagen 's teammate Andre Greipel took the leader's jersey going into Monday's fifth stage over 171.8km from Ardooie to Ostend.

Italy's Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) sprinted to victory in the third stage of the Tour of Benelux on Saturday, taking the leader's jersey from Spain's Jose Ivan Gutierrez. Bennati crossed the line ahead of Belgians Tom Boonen and Jurgen Roelandts.

Frenchman Julien Absalon took his mountain bike status to new heights on Saturday when he became the first rider to defend the men's Olympic cross country title. US and Canadian men had a dismal day, with Canadian Geoff Kabush the top North American finisher in 20th place. At only 28 years old, he said motivating himself for a third consecutive gold in London should be no problem. "The Olympic Games is a massive motivation for every athlete and four years passes quickly, as it has from Athens to Beijing," said Absalon.

Germany’s Sabine Spitz owns a closet full of silver and bronze medals from mountain bike racing’s biggest events — the Olympics, world championships and World Cup. The 36-year-old patiently rode in the shadows of ’04 Olympic champ Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå during the four years in which the Norwegian ruled over the sport.

Germany's Andre Greipel (Team Columbia) won the second stage of the Eneco Tour in The Netherlands on Friday. Greipel beat Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo (CSC-Saxo Bank) and compatriot Robert Forster(Gerolsteiner) in a rain-soaked sprint finish in Nieuwegein, in the north of The Netherlands. Kenny Van Hummel (Skil-Shimano) was fourth and stage one winner Tom Boonen was fifth.

The Chris Thater Memorial will reach an historic milestone this weekend in Binghamton, New York. Not only will the event be commemorating its 25th anniversary, but many of the strongest pro cyclists and teams will be there to help support the Broome County STOP DWI program and to compete for a total purse of $70,000. The event is part of the National Racing Calendar and the USA CRITS series.

France’s Anne-Caroline Chausson out-pedaled, out-jumped and out-maneuvered the world’s best female BMX riders to win the inaugural Olympic BMX race at the Laoshan cycling venue. The Frenchwoman, who also owns 16 world titles in gravity mountain bike racing, grabbed the biggest single prize of her storied career ahead of compatriot Laetitia le Corguille. Amerian Jill Kintner crossed the finish line in third to bring the United States its first-ever medal in Olympic BMX.

Web site: www.liquidgoldenergy.com Suggested Retail Price: $5.99 for a 6.5 ounce flask (five 2-tablespoon servings) GloryBee Foods' Liquid Gold is an organic honey-based sports energy gel. The Eugene, Oregon-based company says that honey contains a mix of carbohydrates that help prevent sugar spikes.

Suggested Retail: $79.95 for saw with one blade. $49.95 for five replacement blades. Web site: www.cantitoeroad.com The CarboCut from Effetto Mariposa has toothless, grit-edge tungsten carbide blade that is intended for cutting hard materials such as ceramics, titanium and steel, and for cutting carbon fiber (the company says a traditional toothed blade is still best for cutting softer materials like aluminum and plastic).

Maris Strombergs put Latvia on top of the BMX world by taking the inaugural Olympic gold medal in flying fashion. The 21-year-old Latvian, who won the BMX world title earlier this year, earned Latvia its first medal of the 2008 Olympics, crossing the line ahead of Americans Mike Day and Donny Robinson. “It didn’t matter if it was the Olympics, the world championships or the European championships, the feeling is the same,” Strombergs said. “I was very cool and concentrated.”

Suggested Retail: $260 Weight: 200 grams Dimensions: 290mm x 135mm Web site: www.sellesanmarco.com Selle San Marco’s new Mantra is a new road bike saddle. It features the company's patented NoShuffle system, which involves a narrowed nose to reduce thigh chafing for riders with a knee-in riding style. It also includes an arrowhead-shaped cut out and a synthetic "microfeel" cover. [nid:82174]

Belgian rider Tom Boonen (Quick Step), won the first stage of the Tour du Benelux in The Netherlands on Thursday. Spain's Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne), retained the yellow jersey after winning Wednesday's prologue. Boonen, 27, is the 2005 world champion. In June he was barred from the Tour de France after testing positive for cocaine.

It was over in an instant, but the altercation between a Tour of Utah race staffer and Garmin-Chipotle team doctor Prentice Steffen was years in the making. During the stage 3 criterium in Salt Lake City last Friday, Tour of Utah team liaison Marty Jemison, a former U.S. Postal Service rider, punched Steffen after the team doctor made what Jemison considered to be an inflammatory remark about alleged doping dating back over a decade.

Price: $369 Web site: www.kurtkinetic.com A portion of the revenue from sales of the special pink Kurt Kinetic trainer go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a grassroots organization of breast cancer survivors, advocates and activists. The organization has pledged $2 billion in the next ten years to fight breast cancer.

Nicolas Roche — fresh off winning the opening stage of the Tour de Limousin this week — has penned a two-year deal with French outfit Ag2r-La Mondiale. The 24-year-old son of Irish great Stephen Roche, he leaves Credit Agricole to join the French team through the 2010 season. “Nicolas is a rider with a big future with important physical abilities,” said Ag2r manager Vincent Lavenu. “He already has some solid experience and is arriving at maturity as a rider. All of that should enable to realize his potential in the big races.”

Cadel Evans will not be in the Silence-Lotto team competing in the Tour of Spain, starting on August 30 at Granada, the team announced on its Web site. The Belgium-based outfit has left the Australian out of the Vuelta, which finishes on September 21 in Madrid. The 31-year-old, who injured his knee in the aftermath of finishing second overall in the Tour de France at the end of July, finished 15th in the road race and fifth in the individual time trial at the Beijing Olympics.

Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) won the prologue of the Eneco Tour of Benelux in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands, on Wednesday. The Spanish cyclist, winner of the event last year, was judged to be leader after clocking 5:31.09 minutes over the 4.4 kilometer stage — fractions of a second in front of French rider Cyril Lemoine (Credit Agricole). Norway's Edvald Hagen (Team Columbia) was third.

A California Superior Court judge dismissed defamation suit against former Rock Racing soigneur Suzanne Sonye by Kayle Leogrande, a racer on the team. Leogrande filed suit after a recording of her telephone conversation with an anti-doping activist was posted on the Internet. In that conversation, Sonye repeated allegations outlined in an affidavit she provided to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that Leogrande had admitted using performance-enhancing substanstes.

Irish cyclist Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) won the first stage of the Tour du Limousin on Tuesday. Roche, 24, powered along the country roads between Limoges and Guéret to win the 166km stage in four hours, four minutes, beating the field to the line by three seconds. France's Steve Chainel (Auber 93) and Roche’s teammate Sébastien Hinault came second and third.

Britain confirmed their status as rulers of the Olympic velodrome Tuesday, claiming two of the last three track cycling gold medals on offer to finish with seven out of 10. On a day that Australian blushes were saved in timely fashion by Anna Meares' sprint silver, giving the team that dominated in Athens just one medal, Britain were celebrating a total of 12 out of 30 medals awarded in Beijing. They medalled in eight of the 10 events, only failing to claim a medal in the women's points race and the men's Madison.

Victoria Pendleton of Great Britain grabbed her first Olympic gold after dominating Anna Meares of Australia over two legs of the women's sprint final in Beijing on Tuesday. Meares picked up the silver with China's Guo Shuang winning the bronze. Pendleton's maiden Olympic crown means she has taken Britain's track cycling gold tally to six. The 27-year-old Englishwoman is also the first British woman to win Olympic gold in track cycling's blue ribbon event. It is also Britain's first women's track medal since Yvonne McGregor won pursuit bronze in Sydney eight years ago.

Flying Scotsman Chris Hoy equaled a 100-year-old British Olympic record on his way to winning his third gold medal of the Beijing Games on Tuesday. Hoy, who had already won gold in the team sprint and keirin, claimed his first ever Olympic sprint crown after a dominant display over teammate Jason Kenny. Hoy claimed his third gold medal of the Games, and fourth of his career, after beating England's Kenny in two successive sprints.

Dear Lennard,
You mention you use the No Tubes set up with your Ksyriums and Hutchinson’s Road Tubeless tires. I would like to do the same, but am concerned about Hutchinson’s warning against doing so. Something about ammonia breaking down the inside body of the tire. Any thoughts here?
Matt

Argentina's Juan Curuchet and Walter Perez grabbed Olympic gold in the men's Madison in Beijing on Tuesday when all three medals were decided on the last lap's 10th and final sprint. Spain finished second to take the silver with Russia winning the bronze. Britain's pursuit and team pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins, aiming for a record-breaking third gold medal of the Beijing Games, was never in contention with teammate Mark Cavendish. Argentina's pairing was a constant threat for their rivals in the 50km, 200-lap race where points can be won at intermediate sprints.

Price: $449.99 Weight: 230 grams Web site: www.exposurelightsusa.com The Enduro model from Exposure Lights is a cable-free high-powered LED light intended for racing or high performance trail riding. The handlebar mounted light has a CNC-machined alloy body, anodized and laser etched. It uses three "Super LEDs" with a lifetime warranty. It has four settings that produce burn times ranging from three hours at the Max setting to more than 24 hours in flash mode.

It’s said that racing in the yellow jersey gives a rider wings. It’s also said that there’s no motivation like racing in front of friends and family. Both notions proved true Sunday during the final stage of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, in which Utah native Jeff Louder of BMC Racing overcame a seven-second deficit to Garmin-Chipotle’s Blake Caldwell to take the overall victory by eight seconds.

The four-man pursuit squad of Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and individual pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins won Great Britain its fifth gold medal of the 2008 Olympics. Team Great Britain nearly lapped Denmark in the finals of the team pursuit, breaking their own world record from Sunday’s qualifying round with a 3:53.314 finishing time. The Brits led wire-to-wire against Denmark, which eased up on the throttle once the Brits came nipping at their heels on the final lap. The Danes finished with a time of 4:00.040. New Zealand took home the bronze with a 3:57.776.

Michael Blatchford might not own the bulky track sprinter’s physique, but the lean, mean American proved this season he can be competitive on the international circuit. Blatchford came up a hair short in Sunday night’s 1/16 round of the men’s match sprint. The 22-year-old saw his chances at qualifying for the finals dashed by France’s thick sprinter Kevin Sireau, one of the fastest men in the sport. Midway through the bell lap Sireau appeared to commit too early to his sprint, opening the door for Blatchford.

Dutchwoman Marianne Vos erased the demons from her sub-stellar finishes in last week’s road and time-trial events by dominating the Points Race. Vos, 21, earned 30 total points in the 100-lap race, 20 of which came from lapping the field. Yoanka Gonzalez of Cuba finished second with 18 points with Leire Olaberria of Spain grabbing the bronze. “I had a lot of confidence coming into [the points race] — during my training I felt very good,” Vos said. “It wasn’t like I felt bad in the road race or the time trial, of course I was trying to get a medal. I was very disappointed.”

Pat McQuaid, the head of cycling’s world governing body, said Monday a long-running feud that has "split the cycling family" is nearing its end, as he announced the creation of a new international calendar. UCI president McQuaid has been fighting resistance from major race organizers, including the Tour de France, in recent years following disagreements over the ProTour calendar of races.

Price: $269 Web site: www.dinottelighting.com DiNotte's 400L headlight is a new model introduced in time for fall training, trail riding and 24-hour racing. The standard double-LED light produces 400 Lumens and can be mounted on a variety of bar diameters with horizontal or vertical orientation. A helmet/head strap kit option is available this month. The user can experiment with different beam patterns with an optional lens kit, which the company recommends for helmet use and trail riding.

Michael Ball's fashion designers will be busy this week after Rock Racing's Rahsaan Bahati on Sunday earned his latest stars-and-stripes jersey, winning the Saab USA Cycling Pro Criterium Championship on the course in Downers Grove, Illinois, on which he last triumphed in 2000 as an amateur. It's the first time in three years that an American has earned the championship by winning the 100km race outright. And while Rock Racing betrayed a certain confidence by kitting up in red, white and blue, it also fulfilled a seasonlong goal for Bahati, who is still battling a bum leg.

Rebecca Romero pumped her fist and let out a shriek after crossing the finish line to win Olympic gold in the individual pursuit on Monday night. The finishing gesture mimicked that of her compatriot Nicole Cooke, who won last Sunday's women’s road race. “I’m trying to hold it together,” said Romero, who defeated compatriot Wendy Houvenaghel to take the win. “I’ve had to search deep inside and fight for it and do what I know I’m capable of. Olympic gold medals don’t come easy.”